Iranian Filmmakers Visit Family Of Jailed Rapper
A group of prominent Iranian filmmakers Monday met with the family and lawyer of detained rapper Toomaj Salehi, to express solidarity with him.
A group of prominent Iranian filmmakers Monday met with the family and lawyer of detained rapper Toomaj Salehi, to express solidarity with him.
According to reports on social media, Fatemeh Motamed-Arya, Jafar Panahi, and Mohammad Rasoulof also inquired about Salehi's health condition during their visit.
The meeting comes as concerns are mounting over the rapper’s condition in prison with human rights organizations demanding his immediate access to medical treatment.
Salehi, 33, an artist mostly known for his protest songs about Iran's social issues and injustice by the government, was arrested in October after joining street protests that had erupted across the country in September after the death in custody of Mahsa Amini.
His arrest came shortly after his interview with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, calling the regime “a mafia that is ready to kill the entire nation... in order to keep its power, money and weapons”.
The Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI) says the detained rapper needs urgent treatment, which cannot be provided in prison.
On Sunday, Iranian activists living in Montreal, Canada held a rally calling for support for the imprisoned protesters in Iran, including Toomaj Salehi.
The 33-year-old metalworker from Esfahan is one of dozens of members of the artistic and entertainment community who have been arrested since the protests began as the regime struggles to contain widespread discontent in the country.
